Violent Acres: Dining Out: How To Serve and Be Served
Feb 12th, 2007
(4 votes, average: 3.5 out of 5)
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I eat out a lot. Because I dine out so frequently, I have noticed a few social trends developing that I could do without. For example, some servers almost completely […]
Original post: Dining Out: How To Serve and Be Served
“But do not act like I fucked up by forgetting to tell you something.”
On the note that people dont fuck up their orders, I have to say that working in a restaurant (and being the one who has to cook their damn food twice) I know that some people are just morons. If you order a pizza, and then neglect to mention you dont want it on a regular crust, then bitch about it, thats their own damn fault.
I may be wrong, but it’s not demanded that you tip either, sure you’ll be horribly pissing off the servers (and they will go and curse you in the kitchen), but if they didnt earn it they shouldnt get it. I mean a tip is an extra compliment to the server for them doing a good job, its not neccesary. If they fucked up your order that was already half an hour after said time, and neglected to fill your drink, fuck their tip! They dont deserve it.
But on the other hand its cheap not to tip a few bucks.
Right, about the tipping. A tip is given for a job well done. If they’re an average server they get their 15%, no more, no less. If they’re one of the few whom are good at their job and add more ot the experience than bring-food, take garb, they get their 20-30%+ tip.
I always keep 2 pennies to give as a tip to a bad server aswell, just so they know I didn’t simply ‘forget’ to tip.
Also, tip based on the service, not necessarily on the food. If the food sucks, talk to the ‘chef.’
It’s a good thing I don’t go out to eat very often…
at least as far as fine dining is concerned…
But a nice guide nonetheless…
Would you agree that no human is perfect?
I think I’ve heard you say that before…
the rest of the animal kingdom, however is…
V you’re hardcore… I still can’t tell when you’re actually
pissed off and when you are acting…
Have an excellent day
I miss u
Pretty decent guide. I don’t agree with 20% baseline tipping though — sure the cost of living has gone up — that’s why 15% has a percentage sign after it! The cost of food goes up, the tip goes up too, thereby remaining correct. I use 15% as a baseline and often tip more, especially if I’m eating out at a cheap restaurant that has great service. I’ll top 100% if I’m eating at a diner and the waiter does his job exceptionally well.
The most important part of your guide (to me) is for patrons not to make a huge deal out of things going wrong. People make mistakes, reduce the tip if necessary (if the wrong wasn’t corrected and compensated on the bill), but don’t make a federal fucking case out of it.
Finally, your take on the check procedure is _very_ American. In most of Europe, if the staff even bring the check without it being asked for, or expect some kind of prompt payment from the patrons at the end of the meal, they would be considered rude. That said, it is traditional in America to both bring the check promptly and pay it promptly. Hard to say which way I prefer, but it’s good to keep in mind that payment scheduling varies widely between cultures.
“If you are the patron…
Tip correctly. If you do not know how to calculate percentages, use that little tip calculator thingy in your cell phone. And please leave your server at least 20%. I realize that custom says that average service only warrants a 15% tip, but the cost of living has increased.”
I completely disagree on this issue. Yes, the cost of living has increased but so has the cost of food and services. So using a little logic you will see that if the cost of living has gone up then probably the cost of the food and services has gone up as well (to reflect said increase in cost of living) and therefore your 15% tip will STILL be proportionate to the cost of the food and services and will successfully reflect the cost of living.
i completely agree with everything in this blog. as a teenage waitress just trying to make money for college, you get an up-front view of all the crap that goes down in a restaurant, on both the server and patron’s part.
as a point to the others who gave comments here though, i have to say that what you’re discussing is just plain rude. no tip at all? only two cents? maybe if all you ordered was a couple of drinks and the server couldn’t even get that right could i see that happening. but really, most servers only get $1 after taxes from the restaurants that they work in, basically all of our income comes from tips.
i’m not saying that you should give them a good tip if you never got your food, if they brought you melted ice cream, or if they basically ignored you. i’m just encouraging you to take some things into consideration. if it’s a busy night and they have a lot of tables to wait, cut them a little slack for not jumping on every thing you say. for the most part, this is not the career they’ve chosen for themselves forever. this is just a side job or a summer job or what have you. these are generally smart people trying to make a decent living and they don’t really want to hear you complaining about how your iced tea was too cold (believe me, i’ve heard it).
sorry that i’m rambling. bottom line: they’re servers, not slaves. the job is not easy. don’t believe me? give it a try. and in the meantime, don’t be so quick to put down a “bad” server with a 2 cent tip.
http://www.iserveidiots.com is a good website to read and put some things in perspective for you. might be a little eye opening.
sorry… $1 an hour. typo
While 20% is not an obligatory baseline, those advocating that the 15% has shifted with the cost of food are ignoring that our economy has shifted dramatically with much more emphasis (and much more employment) in the food service industry. That 15% is probably not going nearly as far as it used to. I do 20% for pretty good service, but 15% for standard acceptable service.
The only other note I’d make is about kids. Totally accurate unless you are patronizing a family restaurant. Small children do not need to be banished to McDonalds playland, but nor should they ruin a fine steakhouse. Being Canadian I’m not sure I can draw a universal metaphor, but we have a number of restaurants here that target the family crowd. Don’t be surprised when families go to them. Reasonable noise is to be expected there.
If you’re not willing to tip 20%, order some Chinese and stay in. Cheap doesn’t look good on anyone, trust me.
Right on! I don’t have the money to eat out very often, but when I do, I don’t want my meal punctuated by screaming brats…children and their moron “parents” piss me off and I’ve had more nice meals ruined by that than by poor service by the waitstaff. I have the luxury of eating a quiet dinner at home (I love being childfree!), but everyone should have the opportunity to eat out and have someone else clean up without enduring the yelping, whining, and “quite fussing” (yeah right) that brats provide without fail.
“Oh! Oh…hmmm…ummmm…what kind of soda do you have?” It’s a fucking drink; it’s not brain surgery.
-LOL, but yes, this is simple though it always breaks my brain for 5 seconds to know what i want.
“Do not ruin the evening of an entire restaurant of people because you couldn’t figure out how to properly utilize a condom.”
- this is the first and biggest issue. If you have children take them to McDonalds or whatever junk-food restaurant they like. They`re not interested in having some exotic spicy stuff, cause they`re not used to tasty food yet. And PLEASE, leave your 2-3yr old morons at home cause they will really try everything to spoil someone`s day. Eating out should be relaxed, but screaming kid is the worst case against relaxation. 500 to the brave patrons.
Here in eastern-europe usually the server brings you check and leaves. You pay when you want and leave when you want. You`re not supposed to wait for the server to pick up your money. Or maybe I missed the point?
I can’t tell you how much I love VA’s site. She is not only funny and a great writer (despite what she says). Her views on children are spot on. Children in restaurants that are NOT family oriented should either be well behaved or not allowed in at all. Considering the state of parenting these days, I am going to go with not at all.
It is ridiculous to get the kid advice from someone who doesn’t have kids. If you despise children, VA, get Domino’s at your place. People of all ages have every right to go to a restaurant. It’s the parents’ duty to help their children behave. If occasionally trying to calm a child won’t do the reason we all have to put up with it is that WE WERE ALL FUCKING CHILDREN TOO.
What comes next, VA? Not allowing children to board a bus?
You may be chic when tipping but your reasoning is so cheap.
Karin
Karin: I’m guessing that VA is not going to places like Denny’s where kids are welcome and expected. I was a child once and I damn well behaved if I was at a nice restaurant. If I didn’t, I was sittin’ my ass in the car hungry. That’s right. Nowadays it’d be called child abuse. It’s not. It’s important to teach kids how to behave in public.
Karin: WE ARE ALL FUCKING CHILDREN TOO…
Brilliant…
PF said it best I think
Children are innocent
Teenagers f’d up in the head
Adults are EVEN MORE f’d up
And elderly are like children…
We’ll make great pets
well behaved pets too…
high five Karin…
Ok, I have a question… Whats with the whole tip thing you yanks do? Really why the fuck am I expected to fork out a surcharge of 15-25% after a meal as if it were PRE ORDAINED by some holy fucking mandate. There is no possble excuse for it. OooOoOO The plight of the waitress… struggling to make ends meet by robbing unfortunate souls off their hard earned money in the form of a sympathy tariff.
Most countries outside of the USA have a value added tax or a surcharge on top of the bill anyway ranging from 7-15%. So pardon me if I don’t reach for my wallet like Buffalo Bill does for his sidearm. Tip someone to do their fucking job… I don’t think so.
The whole low wages argument is BULLSHIT too. Janitors don’t make great money, do you leave tips on your office desk overnight for them? Newspaper delivery boys make even less and the list goes on….I think the only reason people tip in a fancy restaurant is to stroke their own bloated egos. If they were the kind empathy oozing caring individuals they turn into when they strongly express their chagrin over mistreatment of waiters, they would treat all meagre paying professions equally. But they don’t, maybe they are hypocrites or maybe a full fucking belly after a meal induces them into a state of delirium and temporary philanthropy……..
low wages? janitors and newspaper delivery boys at least make minimum wage. servers DO NOT MAKE MINIMUM WAGE. they usually make $2-3 an hour BEFORE TAXES.
tips ARE their incomes.
@ former waitress
find a better fucking job? isn’t it illegal to pay someone below minimum wages… Maybe fucktard waiters don’t want minimum wage because of expensive fucking restaurants where the total would be a couple of hundered bucks a pop, they would make a lot of money every night in tips maybe more than minimum wage. If you cannot find employment at such a restaurant maybe it is time to consider an alternate career avenue….
If you want better wages bother your employer, don’t make social norms that are stupid. I am glad I live in a country where I am not expected to tip.
bsdninja, you got it wrong. its not a fucking post office, where a fat retarded lady has to give you some package in a slow manner cause she has a flat paycheck. why should a pretty and hard-working girl get the same flat paycheck at restaurant as some lazy fat bitch that serves you as shit? in the end nobody would try to work hard cause the manager cannot manage to control the quality of service of every server. visitors can do this individually. visitors care about this individually. so the system has developed itself.
i`m not rich, definitely not! but i leave a tip if a restaurant or whatever place i`m eating out that has managed to get a pretty girl that does her best to make my day better. i love that shit. the next time i come around the waitress will smile at me even more and “do more than her best” and that`s what really matters for me when i go out to relax. if you dont tip, next time you won`t even have a reason to do it.
bsdninja: It’s practically law in this country — wait staff wages are set based on the assumption of 15% tips.
I tip well for selfish reasons. If you visit a place regularly, you’ll start to see the level of service rise rapidly. You’ll start getting free desserts, your food will come out perfect and quickly, and if a mistake is made it will generally be fixed and then taken off your bill.
All of a sudden every third drink mysteriously dissapears from your bill.
And when things are taken off? Tip like they were still there. In the long run waitresses only give a shit how much they’re going to make. Since the tip is directly proportionate to how much your bill is, they like it to be as high as possible. Make sure they know that if they take something off your bill they won’t be punished for it.
I pay less for food now than I ever did when I tipped the bare minimum, and my experience is a whole lot better. I’m treated like royalty from the second I step foot in the door until I walk back out to my car.
You people are cutting off your noses to spite your faces.
And kids? Keep your kids at home. Not only should parents use good judgement before brining their animals in public, restaurants would do well to ban kids from the premises in the first place. It ruins the dining experience of everyone around you. Karin: Would you sit behind a table and stick your head over the booth and scream? Of course not, you’d a fucking rude douche. Not only are you ruining the time of half a restaurant, but you’re also doing your children a dis-service by teaching them it’s ok to do things you wouldn’t be caught dead doing as an adult.
Midochon, your last sentence is perfect!
I like to tip about 30% when I can
just because I like the # 30
It’s not my favorite # but
I think double the recomended amount
is fair…
Once again I will admit.. I don’t understand you yanks…. If some weapons dealer did with your government what you do at restaurants you’d have a country wide debacle and a new corruption scandal.
I am astounded at how much import is put on “hot” and “pretty”. OoOO Its a HOT CHICK so that makes everything alright. No other reason needed. Well I don’t understand it. Maybe there is a cultural gap I can’t seem to bridge….
I can imagine waitressing being worse
than making copies or running mail machines…
which were, in my opinion — particularly the mail
machines– the definition of hell on earth.
But I would imagine waitressing all depends on the
customer… some people are ridiculous.
when the customer is a machine that breaks down every
10 minutes and makes repetitive clicking sounds…
wait a minute…
maybe waitressing and running mail machines
aren’t that different after all…
though mail machines don’t tip at all.
bsdninja - it has nothing to do with hotness. its just how waitresses are paid - the tip isn’t extra income, it is their income. i don’t understand how YOU don’t realize how it works in every restaurant in this country.
when you sit in a restaurant you are getting a service - someone taking your order, bringing your food, clearing your plate, etc. in addition to paying for the food you eat, you have to pay for the service.
if you are really too cheap to pay for the services you receive, perhaps you should stick to takeout, or cook for yourself.
@chloe
that`s why retards sit at mail machines and show off their you-all-make-me-sick depressed, bored faces to customers if there are any. it`s all about communication. mail machines cannot do anything if you work lazy. if machine stops, you call technician. if patron pisses you off, you have to deal with it on your own. don`t say its harder job to control some machinery than dealing with real people. though every job is important for the human life.
@ sunny
Hang on there buddy…. don’t try and turn this into personal mud slinging to try and divert attention away from the main point at hand. I raised a valid point… shouldn’t the cost of service be borne by the owners of the restaurant. When I see a price on the menu should it not be inclusive of everything? Going along with your train of thought, wouldn’t it be alright for dishwashers to ask for extra money so that they make sure your plates are really clean. Shouldn’t the restaurant charge you more for decent cutlery? The prices at a sit down restaurant are already lofty. But I think you pretty much explained it…. People don’t want to feel cheap. They want to think they are high rollers, the plight of the emaciated waitress is secondary.
I am not against misusing money to feel good about yourself but when a personal fetish turns into a social norm, a line needs to be drawn. This wouldn’t usually warrant the attention or the ire I have dedicated but really I am sick of wasteful people.
Tipping 20% is a good baseline. For exceptional service I will tip up to 40%.
There are two ways for a server to remember you. Tipping well, and tipping badly. The latter may even get you some special condiments on your next order.
Oh, and watch out for smartass bussers. They like to crop dust tables from time to time. For those who do not know what that is. Let out a huge fart as slowly as possible and then move around the table while filling glasses and such.
to be entirely honest, the best tips that i tended to get were from lower/middle class patrons to my restaurant. not all, but for the most part. why? maybe because they appreciate a job done well. unlike other people who just expect you to be nice and friendly while they complain about everything from the air conditioner to the toppings on desserts. the tip is an encouragement to be friendly and courteous. i wouldn’t be half as nice to the people i serve if i didn’t have a nice, fat tip on the line. both sides win - they get excellent service and i get more money for my college education.
because, believe it or not, being a waitress isn’t my dream job. no, i waitress during the summers because you really can get an excellent amount of money on a good night. it’s selfish people who don’t understand the rules of tipping who can ruin my night and make it that much harder to pay for my textbooks the next semester.
it’s my firm belief that everyone should work in the service industry at least once in their lives. i never realized what a demanding job it was until i did, and it was an excellent lesson. until you’ve worked a 12 hr. shift and your feet are sore from running back and forth and your head is pounding from the millions of demands you have to keep track of at any one time, don’t you say that a 15-20% tip is too much. if you can’t afford the tip, don’t go to the restaurant. stay at home.
Former Waitress…
*high five*
@bsdninja
I wasn’t trying to start a personal mudslinging contest, but your describing waitresses as “fucktards” bothered me quite a bit. It is not fair to generalize so much.
Would it be more ideal for the menu price to be all inclusive, and for restaurants owners to pay their waitresses more? probably, but right now we’re dealing with the system at hand, and I don’t think its going to change anytime soon.
i think that restaurants charging more for decent cutlery is along the same line. or the dishwasher demanding more money, because in that case the restaurant is paying them minimum wage.
i don’t really get what you mean by wasting money - the money from tipping IS the bulk of the salary of a waiter/waitress. you pay more to get your food served to you - that makes sense. people who believe paying to have their food served to them is wasteful should not go to sit down restaurants.
@ former waitress
Do you know what they say about presumption being the mother of all fuck-ups? Well you presume too much. You need money to be friendly and courteous? What about a good work ethic?
You talk as if no other profession has hard work involved. And then you go on to presume I have never had to do a day of hardwork in my life. That’s pretty stupid. I thought you were a former waitress not a soothsayer/psychic. I have worked in a kitchen in various roles. Oh yeah with the guys and girls who DON’T get tipped.
Again you miss the point… all I asked was shouldn’t you be asking for higher wages from your EMPLOYERS? Someone at a computer or a tech store gives you GREAT service and behave in a nice and friendly fashion and make your purchase REAL EASY… Am I expected to tip them?? I was pointing out tipping should be a matter of choice NOT a rule. I shouldn’t HAVE to tip, I should tip if I want to.
*sorry i meant to say the charging extra for cutlery isn’t along the same line
@ sunny
I see your point maybe if I lived in the USA maybe I would be pro-tipping too. I guess I come from a place where employers treat their employees well. I still don’t see why me ordering food from a restaurant and then paying their employee to bring it out for me have seperate costs.
As for calling the waitresses fucktards… it was in the most loving way possible. Hey I call my brother a fuckwit and I love him…. so there you go…
@bsdninja
if you just don’t understand the point of two different costs, i don’t see how that justifies insulting hard working people. the restaurant etiquette in america demands a tip for the server to make money. that’s how it works. if you don’t understand/like that, fine. don’t come to america. and if you do, don’t eat out here. i have no problem with that. but by insulting myself and other people like me who are doing our best with the system at hand, you only make yourself out to be rude, arrogant, and ignorant.
I’d like to say a few things in retrospect. Waitressing isn’t a forced occupation. There are other vocations one could be employed in. Also, when opting for such a position, most people understand how service oriented businesses are organized. And, if one is depending on tips to be their primary source of income, there are always counselors waiting in the wings to help you with whatever disorder you might have.
I agree that a large percentage of children go unrestrained in dining facilities. As for the mentailty that V displays that “stupid people shouldn’t breed” offends me. But, as with most vocal pundits, irony and sarcasm seems the best fodder to feed from.
Regardless if one has or hasn’t had children to base any assumptions from, many circumstances merit a second impression. Usually, when a patron shows distemper, it’s from their own selfish insensitivity. As for the waiter, courtesy is seldom neglected. If you go to a place when it’s at it’s peak… expect complications.. not perfection. And to think, there are places that allow their miniature dogs/cats inside with their hosts to ‘dine’ with them. Why is that ok and keeping children out not? What is the solution, you ask? Stop making every place you dine at your own private club. Oh, I prefer to show my children how other children behave and nurture a positive attitude. The best lessons are learned from the worst.
first you imply that people who work for tips are in need of counseling for a “disorder” and then you say that you take offence to VA stating that “stupid people shouldn’t breed”?
does anyone else see something very wrong with this?
and whoever 31 is, thanks. :-)
No problem ; )
Explain to me why you chose working as a waitress? What person would voluntarily put themselves in that vocation? Pay is low, respect is limited, hours are varied and there are no health benefits. Could someone not locate a more profitable, enjoyable way of life? Why would someone place themselves on a daily basis in that environment and demand RESPECT? Is that REALLY the only vocation they could pursue?
Let’s look up the word disorder in the dictionary, shall we? (dis or der - noun lack of order or regular arrangement/to derange the physical or mental health or functions.)
Your attempt at twisting my words missed the mark. Rightly so, you want appreciation for your experiences. I understand, yet, still do not comprehend why you or anyone else would expect waitressing to be more reputable. Try working at a 5 star facility. Quality of service is mandatory. Whining about being robbed of a tip is infantile. Yes, I have friends that waited.. and they smartly declined employment in service after going beyond the rollercoaster income. Whatever your motive for doing service work, it doesn’t justify claiming it’s the American way… you might need to talk to O’Reilly..he’d enjoy arguing with you.
And, yes, my friends stated it as a disorder. Try rethinking your position. I stated that anyone that depended on tips as their primary resource needed counselling. Ironically, you probably cannot fathom the aspects of medical benefits, modest wages, a modicum of self respect and personal well-being. You may nitpick all you want. My mother did it ONLY when money was short and held two other jobs to maintain 4 boys. Even she hated that line of work. And she rightly found better employment. I am wondering if you, also, agree with V about the breeding adage. Sad.
You think too much man…
close your eyes
stop thinking
and just be…
Choice is an illusion.
Free will is priceless.
Do what you will…
will what you do…
The war is over…
Humanity won
that is all
and you’re all that
the world wants peace
and peace is what it shall receive
NO KIDDING
Breeding…
Life finds a way.
obviously you did not read my previous entry. because you prefer to insult me and my intelligence, i’ll repeat myself.
this is a summer job of mine. during the rest of the year i go to school at an excellent university with a national reputation for academics and athletics. i’m studying for a good degree in a math and sciences field. i repeat, this is not a goal for a future career. i’m not in it for the health care or long term benefits. i’m just a teenage girl trying get money for college costs.
waitressing, if you look at it, is actually an excellent option. even with such a low salary from the restaurant, i can get upwards from $15 an hour soley on tips on any given night. and this is just at an average family restaurant - nothing fancy. heck, it doesn’t even serve alcohol. as a starting pay, that’s pretty nice for a teenager. and for the most part, so many people are great. i have had people who are so nice and tip well, so they make my day. it’s the few people who don’t that can ruin a whole evening for me. because no matter how much i bust my butt to get them exactly what they want, their tip will still suck.
and yes, i do think it’s fair to expect respect. i don’t think i should have to answer that question. are you saying that because i serve you i don’t demand courtesy? i’m a server, not a slave.
i’m just trying to point out to people that by just being a little nicer to your server and tipping a little bit more, it would really be appreciated. most people are nice and tip well, but that other 2%… they can really ruin a person’s day.
I heart VA! And I wholeheartedly agree with her note to those who bring children to restaurants. As has been said already on this board, if I remotely cried or complained at a restaurant as a kid, I’d be eating outside.
Who is insulting you and you’re intelligence…
surely not me…
Your intelligence is far superior to mine
all i am trying to say
is relax…
Of course you are not a slave
you are a server… and i have been served.
If I had money I’d tip you 50%
maybe even 75%
I try not to be misunderstood, but
often am…
I don’t want debate…
I want to understand.
Don’t let the 2% ruin your day
2% is a fairly small %
Why let anyone ruin your day
or your life?
Former waitress
You should take the advice of one
Billy Joel
“I don’t care anymore this is my (your) life…”
But I don’t want you to leave me alone
I want you to realize that noone means
to harm you… especially us
You are real.
You are truth.
All I want is for you to succeed
I want you to achieve whatever
it is you want to achieve
Insults are not my business
balance is…
If anyone has offended you… which I don’t believe they have
than they apologize (again)
Peace, Love and Understanding
that is all we desire…
“Insults are old hat”
They are not real… they are an expression
of jealousy… which itself is waning amongst humanity
FW… what do you want?
That is what you have to decide…
Everything works out for everyone
that’s just the way it goes…
All I would ask is that you have faith and confidence
in yourself… that said… you will succeed.
Everything works out
Now and forever
Nature works
it always does
whether you waitress or not.
QRSTUVWXYZ
As a hostess, I full-heartedly agree on both sides.
Personally, if you’re a citizen of the U.S, I think it should be a requirement for everyone to work in a restaurant just to understand how it is.
This is different than countries, say in France, where waiting tables is a -wonderful- job and people treat them with respect. Here in America, being a server is one of the “low” jobs. The pay is below minimum wages, one of the only jobs that can get away with that -because- they make tips, usually ranging around $1-3 an hour. They’re income is based solely on tips, and if you say “GET A BETTER JOB”, what happens when they all do? No restaurants for you, buddy.
Tipping- Please, PLEASE tip 20% unless they’re absolutely terrible. It’s called common courtesy, and if you’re too cheap to be polite, then go to the McDonalds across the street.
Children- Are very annoying. Don’t expect the “WE WERE ALL CHILDREN ONCE, TOO” to fly. I know I was a child. That doesn’t change the fact that I HATE kids. That’s right. I hate babies, I think they’re ugly, snot-nosed little wretches. So what if I was one way back when? I’m not now, which is more than I can say for the children who’s parents absolutely and utterly FAIL at parenting- I.E. Today’s teenagers.
If you’re in a family restaurant which caters to FAMILIES, it’s understandable to bring a small child- say, an infant- and get away with a few sessions of crying. If the child is 4 or older, there is no reason- and I mean NO REASON- for your child to throw a tantrum in the restaurant and go unpunished. If you just sit there and let your child ruin everyone else’s dinner, then you have FAILED as a parent. This is not just for nice steak houses- this is for every restaurant- There is no excuse to act like a brat. Got it?
“But Sara, do you even have kids?!”
No, I’m 17. If I had a kid I’d kill myself. I don’t need to have a kid to understand parenting is hard, but I also understand that being a GOOD PARENT isn’t hard.
Fucking A.
Hating children is not the answer…
If you don’t want kids, don’t have them
but don’t hate children…
If you hate children, then you hate yourself.
If you hate yourself… why are you here?
HATE fucking sucks…
and that’s a fact jack!
~PLU~
Just try to ignore us… that’s probly your best bet.
Last point. At a nice restaurant, I called in a take out meal. Upon arriving, I approached the cashier and stated my order. Upon tallying the amounts, I was asked, “how much tip?”. I looked at my amount and noted a percentage for preparing it in it’s ToGo containers was added, I opted for no tip. You tell me. Why would I tip? And, to whom would it go to? Isn’t that double taxation in principle? Was I tipping someone for bringing it out to the counter? Where does it end? Stick a fork in me. I’m done. Good Night
i have no problem with tipping 20%, i always tip 20% and mostly because it is simply easier to calculate than 15% but i don’t understand this demand that people tip *at least* 20%. i don’t see what is so wrong with tipping 15-20%, or i guess more for exceptional service. but i’m sorry, every year it becomes more and more expensive to eat at a restaurant, and now i’m expected to add an extra 1/4 of that for tip? i see all these complaints from former servers that they make 1-3 dollars an hour, before taxes, without tips, but then they go on to say that with tips they make more like $15 dollars an hour. well isn’t that a pretty damn good income for the service industry? why should people tip more than they already do when you can make hundreds of dollars a night? i worked in the service industry too, once, except i made 7 dollars an hour working behind the counter in a drug store. my feet hurt too after standing for 8 hours at a time, to the point that at the end of the day i could hardly walk. customers yelled at me, called me names, and the managers were condescending assholes. and while half the time it was complete chaos with people yelling at me and people everywhere needing to be served, the other half of the time it was so boring every time i looked at the clock i wanted to commit suicide. it was a horrible job and i sure as hell didn’t walk away at the end of the day with hundreds of dollars of untaxable cash in my pocket. i’m not saying i object to tipping at all, but i don’t see why the amount that is socially acceptable to tip keeps getting higher and higher and higher. you admit yourself you make tons of money off of tips. so why keep bitching that people don’t tip enough?
Ex-waiter here - I agree 100% with VA.
And freakin geez people - some of you need to lighten the fuck up.
The only thing I love more than kids are two flaming hot embers jammed under my eyes. I especially love it when they shriek and scream. It fills my fwuffy widdle heart full of kisses and wuv.
For bsdninja:
I agree too much emphasis on hot and pretty. Pretty and hot don’t matter when you’re 50 and have a neck that would make a grown turkey envious. Most of a human’s life is spent old and ugly anyways. I don’t know, I think it’s rather ironic (if you would call it that) that a nation of mostly fat and ugly people is so preoccupied with the physical attractiveness of others.
Who ever “50″ is should be sterilized……Please don’t bring children into the world. Do humanity a favor. Please save the resources for someone else who is smarter and may bring forth more useful spawn. If you love kids so much give them the right of not having to be around your half-witted minions.
It’s scary to think that recently more and more intelligent people are opting not to have kids and more and more stupid people are having them. I hope to be dead by the time the kids of people like “50″ get to be president. You think Bush is bad….We will all be crouched over in a corner sucking our thumbs into a blanket wishing for his rise from the grave in about 50 years.
I think what bsdninja is havin trouble understanding is why is there such an exempt status for restaurants? There are a lot of harder, more shitty works where you have to deal with crap from people on regular basis, and no one tips you at all (complaints department anyone?). Why just restaurants (and hotels, IIRC)? And the fact that a waiter gets below minimum wage is caused exactly by this “restaurant exception”. If people stopped tipping, waiters would form a union or something and pretty soon (or not so soon, BTBTP) would get normal wages just like anyone else. So please, don’t mix respect and politness with tips - it’s not politeness or respect, it’s a tradition. And a silly one, if you ask me. If tipping “social workers” (people working with people) is a way of showing respect and/or politness, then everyone start tipping everyone else doing that immediately. Otherwise you’re just being hypocritic (or whatever it’s spelled), trying to hide that you’re just doing it because “everyone else is/expects it”.
Oh, and about kids - I see the problem, and the solution is painfully obvious - if you take a kid with you to a restaurant, you are responsible. Regardless wether he’s 2, 4, 8 or 15 years old. At the first rude (meaning “bothersome for others”) behaviour you take him away. No reason for an all-out ban on kids in restaurants, just make parents pay fines if they don’t take the kid away in, say, 3-5 minutes.
i said that i could get $15 an hour, not that it was guaranteed. that’s generally on a busy night with good customers - it’s not a given that every day i walk away with that much. but it’s nights like that which make it worth serving. it’s nights when i get tables of teenagers who order every single item on the menu, change their minds 10 times each, and get a million refills of each and every drink with a bill $60 or more at the end, and i don’t see a cent as a tip that tick me off. and people who think they are justified with not tipping well simply because they don’t agree with the system that’s in place.
and i’m sure that other jobs in service suck to, but you’re implying that we don’t have to work to earn our tips. believe me, servers work their butts of to keep picky people happy. and this is the system that’s in place so just be polite and pay the tip as a thank you for some sorry server who ran back and forth getting everything you wanted. it’s supposed to be a special treat to eat out, not an opportunity to insult others who are only working to give you a nice, easy night off from cooking and cleaning up yourself.
@former waitress;
My 2-cent tip is reserved for a bad server, one who does not service my table properly or is plain rude. Tipping 2 cents when the waiter has done a poor job is not rude, it is done specifically to show that the waiter has done a bad job. And is usually followed up with a comment to the manager. I do infact take the situation into consideration (buzy night, chef’s error etc)
@bsdninja
No matter what you say about North America tipping custom, it is entirely voluntary and promotes good service. It’s a win/win situation. Minimum wage for waiters and waitresses in Canada is about half of minimum wage, and they are taxed on 15% of the bill of the tables they serve whether they’re tipped or not.
Mind, if the law changed and waiters were paid like those in other professions, the cost of the food would rise to reflect the wage increase.
bsdninja said “yanks.” Are the Britons still allowed on the Internet? Haven’t they screwed it up enough already? Anyway, a few points:
1) Cant emphasize enough the point V made about being ready when the server comes to take your order. Ive been on both sides of this and its annoying as hell when someone isnt prepared to tell you what they want.
2) Always tip. No matter what.
3)I’ve seen this a lot recently. Never clear the table until every one is done. It’s not a huge deal, but it can make some folks uncomfortable.
You should always tip the take out girl. I worked at a restaurant for 6 years and the takeout girl gave the best head in the whole restaurant. Dont be a dick. tip for shit’s sake.
Fluffybits….
You’re a real humdinger…
In a real good useful intelligent way.
; )
@bsdninja…I don’t see how the functionality of the service industry is so beyond your comprehension, everyone’s explained it as best as it can be explained so I guess you’re just a moron.
Tipping two cents and complaining to management…get over yourself, the manager laughs at you after you walk away, trust me.
I was a bartender while I was in college and I was making from 2 to 4 hundred a night, I don’t know of any entry level jobs that pay that much, so who’s the “fucktard?”. Yes, bartenders make more than waitresses, but not by much.
@Jenny
*triple high five*
: )
Fluffy, I meant that as a compliment…
believe me.
whoever is writing in that ABOLSUTELY FUCKING RETARDED poem-type way needs to stop. are you the same halfwit that posts on thesuperficial.com. because honestly, if you think you are being cute or different or intelligent sounding you are dead fucking wrong.
Which poem-type way are you referring to?
be specific?
I guess I’ve written in a poem type way,
and I surely didn’t mean to offend anyone.
I’ve never heard of thesuperficial.com
maybe I should check it out…
I don’t think I am being cute or different or intelligent sounding
and I am dead fucking wrong.
You’re right.
Here’s a poem for ya and it’s only one word:
circles
What’s with everyone on this board?
Calling people fuckwits and halfwits and
retards… I thought we were talking about
dining out.
Then it turned into hating kids
and who should and shouldn’t have
kids…
I got an idea… If you want kids and can take good care of them
go for it.
If you don’t want kids… don’t fucking have them.
As for dining out and tipping and all that… just order your food,
eat it… pay the bill and leave as generous a tip as you can handle.
Alright… commence bitching
je ne se quois
““If you are the patron…
Tip correctly. If you do not know how to calculate percentages, use that little tip calculator thingy in your cell phone. And please leave your server at least 20%. I realize that custom says that average service only warrants a 15% tip, but the cost of living has increased.”
I completely disagree on this issue. Yes, the cost of living has increased but so has the cost of food and services. So using a little logic you will see that if the cost of living has gone up then probably the cost of the food and services has gone up as well (to reflect said increase in cost of living) and therefore your 15% tip will STILL be proportionate to the cost of the food and services and will successfully reflect the cost of living.”
Though I understand what you are trying to say… you’re an idiot. Food and services are all wrapped into “Cost of Living.” Thought you would like to know that.
Adults and kids are both allowed in. Management should feel just as free and compelled to ask either to leave if they are misbehaving. There’s nothing inherently wrong with either group. Nufsaid.
As for tips. I don’t agree. It’s a sliding scale from 0 to 100%. 15% is average. Average service gets you that. For me me average with attitude gets 10 and average but friendly gets 20. I always tip 40% for breakfasts because they are so cheap for the work the server does and it must suck to get up that early. Strangely enough (since it isn’t a expensive place) the best service I have ever had was at Dave and Busters between Denver and Boulder. Ashlee’s (spelled strangely, not like that) service was telepathic. She got 100%.
“If I wanted to listen to shrieking children, I would have had my own.”
V, you’re my new hero :D
“This part of the village doesn’t particularly understand or accept the garbage you crapped out of your womb.”
AAHAHAHAHAHAH, beautiful!
There is one thing V didn’t mention that annoys me in restaurants: the server disappears when you’re done eating. Keep an eye on the tables, and when things look close to ending, drop by and see if there’s anything else we need. I hate it when I have to sit for 20-30 minutes waiting for the server to remember I’m there, so that I can ask for the check.
On the topic of kids, the problem isn’t the kids, it’s the parents.
Kids get bored, especially the younger ones. But some parents treat the dinner as a date, and start interacting exclusively with each other, and ignoring the kids. So the kid gets bored. That’s when the problem starts, and they start standing up on the seat to look into the next booth, or getting cranky and crying, or whatnot. Pay a little attention to the kid, and all that stops. If they do start acting up, then be the parent and put a stop to it, immediately. If it’s an infant or toddler, and they start getting fussy, take them outside before it reaches the crying stage. If you pay attention to the kid, you can catch it before it gets that far.
I also have to say that the vast majority of kids I see in restaurants are well-behaved and quiet. The small minority that aren’t are a lot more noticeable.
@bsdninja
In the US the minimum wage for tipped employees is 1/2 of the standard minimum wage. Tip is expected when dining out at a full service restaurant. That is just how the food service industry works, don’t like it? Cook your own food and serve yourself.
I was a server for a number of years while putting myself through school. Most of this stuff was spot on.
To the guy with the 2cent tip.. I’ve been stiffed (deservedly) a few times, and been screwed more times than I can count. The last time I got a couple of coins that I didn’t see coming, I bounced them off the windshield of the bastard that left them.
I tip 12-15% and don’t feel guilty. I worked as a waiter in college. It’s hard work, but it’s work for kids and young adults. It also doesn’t demand too much thinking. If I could’ve made more money at it, I might’ve been tempted to drop out of college. But now I have a good job and contribute more to society than bringing plates back and forth between a kitchen and a table.
A good rule of thumb is: if the restaurant does not have a children’s menu, do not take your child there! You are ruining everyone else’s romantic evening out. Get a babysitter, stay home, or go to a restaurant that has a kids menu.
This blog is pretty funny at times, but honestly, a little too much pointless profanity and incessant abuse hurled aimlessly at people in general tells me that the author has more anger problems than I’d care to deal with. The rants about children and broken condoms and the FAQ are all hostile and would only attract rather masochistic readers who enjoy being condescended and belittled. Not to mention the insult of being told their decision for having children was the result of a mistake.
I guess you don’t remember being a snot-nosed brat either, but you still sound like one. Another childless self-entitled rant from an anonymous internet junky who ironically claims she doesn’t want interaction with her readers. So you’re the kind of bitch who gives me dirty looks when I take my son to restaurants. Don’t thrust your angst-ridden hangups into some kind of ptolemaic weltanshaaung whereby we the breeders are the bane of your miserable existence. If we were all like you we wouldn’t need broken condoms because the human race would have died out long ago, and it’s certainly unlikely you were an immaculate conception yourself.
And that goes for all you other dual-income-earning childless SUV-driving suburban-home-owning caribbean-cruise-taking surrogate-child-in-the-form-of dog owning hypocrites.
hmmmmmm….
Adrian Macnair
*high-fuckin-five*
pardon the profanities,
please.
But… what’s wrong with dog owners again?
We’re ALL hypocrites.
Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin. I have been a server pretty much since I was 16, and I am now 26. I know that I am very good at my job, and I am constantly getting 20 cent tips or no tip at all. I have people tell me that this was the best service they have ever had and then leave me 30 cents. I want everyone to know that I only make 2.13 an hour, and rarely get that because of taxes. SERVERS WORK FOR TIPS!!!!!! How would the cooks or anyone else for that matter like it if they made a mistake or someone just didn’t like them, and their pay for that hour was just cut in half. No one likes to work for free. I completely agree that if your service was unacceptable you should tip or not tip accordingly. (NEVER leave two cents. How can you live with yourself? Disgusting) but, for something having to do with the way your food was cooked or how smoky the restaurant was, is obviously not the servers fault. Not only can the servers make mistakes, the customers can make mistakes as well. It may be possible that you forgot to order that salad, don’t automatically blame me. As I said in the beginning I am a great server. I receive compliments all the time from customers, staff, and management. I’m not trying to toot my own horn but i just want everyone to know I am not one of the servers that stands around while your drink is empty. I am there to do my job well, and to make sure that the customer has a great experience and hopefully comes back. Not to mention, I want the biggest tip I can get. I really could go on forever, but I just want people to know that I work VERY hard for my money, and I don’t deserve to be treated like I am the biggest piece of shit in the world from the time you sit down to the time you leave. How is it that I walk up to someone and ask them with a huge smile, “hi, hows everyone doing today” and out of a table of four people not one can even acknowledge me? So rude. People would not believe some of the things I go through, sometimes for NOTHING!! I need to cut this off. Please, tip your server. And, by the way, it is an 18% tip. When you have a large party and the gratuity is added to the check, 18% is added NOT 15%. Everyones pay goes up but the servers. Minimum wage is raised, but not for us, right. Tip your server, or got to McDonalds.
to bsdninja
I am so glad that you live in whatever other country too. Thank you. You have no clue what you are talking about. You say servers are robbing people like you of your hard earned money. Believe me, my money is hard earned, and when I don’t get idiots like you coming in, and I make what I am supposed to,(by the way servers didnt decide what they should get paid) I do very well. So, if I always had decent, honest, smart, and hardworking people coming in being a server would be a very good paying job. You need to educate yourself, if you don’t even live in this country, how can you comment on our customs?
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as a server, i myself tip 15% for average service, and 20% or more for exceptional service. at work, i am happy to receive any tip over 10% - while 10 is low, i understand that certain demographics consider this to be a generous tip, and don’t take it personally or assume the tipper is a jerk.
what gets to me is the attitude of some people who think that because i am working for tips as a living, that i am somehow a lower form of life, or that i am nothing but a money-grubbing food pimp. it is not selfish to expect a reasonable tip on reasonable service. what IS unreasonable is to know how the system works and not abide by it - servers are generally good people just trying to make a living and i think a lot of people villainize us for it and use this to justify their poor tipping behaviour.